Be a Poet
Some inspirational and talented writers have the patience and skill to write a novel. Others like a shortcut. A few well-chosen words can let the world know how you feel and what you think, which can illuminate other people's feelings and understanding for them. Some say a poem is made when the best of words are placed in the best of places. Below are some tips for finding your inner poet.
Steps
- Decide what kind of poem you would like to write. The external links explain different types of poems and descriptions of each.
- Find a source of inspiration such as nature, a strong emotion, a beautiful or engaging image. If you're going through a life (or love!) crisis, or maybe a problem such as an addiction, use your experience to provide a topic. You may want to begin with a title to focus your thoughts. Or just start with whatever is on your mind. Perhaps you are feeling sad or angry, or maybe you're missing someone or feeling other internal pain. Let your thoughts flow on the paper until you don't have anything more to add.
- Come up with one word or topic (from your source of inspiration) and list words or phrases associated with that topic, for example, for "love," red roses, white doves, love letters/poems, light, hope, romance, family/friends, etc. (For example, if you want to write about doomed romance, you can get ideas from Romeo and Juliet.)
- Even in "confessional" or personal poetry, don't just write about emotions. Tell the reader what you did, what you touched, specific memories, or make comparisons to nature or the world. Readers are curious to learn about you, but in order to touch readers and make them care about your poem, you've got to relate your confession to someone or something else. Draw a connection between yourself and the reader, or better yet, a surprising connection that makes the reader think "aha!". That being said ...
- Pay attention to strong or unusual images as you go about your life. Perhaps you see a bug struggling to get across a deep crack in the sidewalk. Describe the scene in words so that a reader has the feeling of seeing it for themselves. You can even add what the scene reminds you of in your own life.
- Use a thesaurus. Poetry is about using as few words as possible, but using "beautiful" words to describe what you are writing about.
- When you've finished your first draft, read it over and see if you've been unnecessarily repetitive. Move sections around and see what version has the most impact.
- If you didn't start with a title, read over what you've written and write a title that either introduces, sums up, or perhaps gives a twist on what the poem says. For instance, if you were writing about a bad love affair, a title like "Rotten Apple" might get any readers off in the mood you want.
- However, don't add a title just to have one. Many fine poems are listed simply as "Untitled".
- You have become a "poet"!
Tips
- Writing poetry is an emotional and psychological exercise, so try to pull from past experiences so your readers can sincerely relate to your writing. When writing, think of the mood, smell, location, and feelings.
- An honest, sensitive, and insightful reader is a writer's best resource.
- When you find a poem or a poet you like, it is fine to practice by modeling some poems on their style. This helps you understand why they wrote like they did. Use these efforts as practice while you develop your own unique "voice."
- You can make booklets of your own poetry to give to family and friends. Some local bookstores will take local poetry "on consignment," which means they would pay you for copies as they sell. (Bookstores will typically expect half of the sales price as their share.)
- If you want to see your poem in print, check out the book Poet's Market by Writers Digest books (expensive in bookstores but usually available at library reference desks to be used within the library). Read about the various poetry publishers, such as university literary magazines, and submit your poem(s) to publications that are likely to seriously consider them; don't send your dark and edgy poetry to children's magazines, for example. Keep trying different places; it often takes a long time for new poets to be "discovered."
Warnings
- When you're new at writing poetry, don't show your poems to people who are always critical. Find readers who support you and will give you constructive feedback.
Things You'll Need
- Pen/pencil and paper, or computer
- Beautiful or intense words
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